Home Computer Access and Internet Use

In 2013, almost six out of ten children, ages three to 17 (57 percent), used the Internet at home, nearly six times as many as in 1997 (11 percent). Seventy-nine percent had a computer at home, up from 15 percent in 1984.

Importance

Home access to computers and the Internet has expanded dramatically over the last two decades, and the ways children, youth, and adults use these tools are in rapid flux, as new technologies are developed. For example, Internet-enabled devices now include not only computers, but televisions, electronic books, and other handheld devices such as music players and cell-phones. Increasingly, the lines are blurred between computers and many other types of electronic media.

Young people are most likely to use a computer for social networking, playing games, and watching videos. Ten percent report reading magazines or newspapers online. Among older youth (in grades seven through twelve), more than half (55 percent) have looked up online health information.[1]

Research on the effects of home computer and Internet use on children is limited and often does not control for the presence of other potentially confounding factors. However, there is widespread concern that children may be exposed to sexually explicit, violent, and other age-inappropriate content on the Internet. Research, while inconclusive about the impact of nonviolent sexually explicit material, has consistently demonstrated that exposure to violent material (both sexual in nature and not) is associated with desensitization to violence, increased hostility and imitation of violent behaviors, and greater anxiety and fear among children and youth.[2] In addition, time spent with a computer may take the place of time spent exercising or being active, and may put children at risk for obesity, and eye, wrist, and back problems.[3]

There is little evidence that having a computer at home improves student’s academic performance, or narrows achievement gaps associated with race or socio-economic status. To the contrary, the available evidence suggests that widespread provision of home computers would have negative effects on academic achievement overall.[4]

Trends

The proportion of children with home access to computers increased steadily until 2012, from 15 percent in 1984 to 76 percent in 2003, to 85 percent in 2012. In addition, the percentage of children who use the Internet at home rose from 11 percent in 1997, the first year for which such estimates are available, to 42 percent in 2003, and to 62 percent in 2012. However, both computer ownership and Internet usage at home decreased in 2013, to 79 and 57 percent, respectively.
(Figure 1)

According to a 2009 survey of eight- to eighteen-year-olds, 36 percent have a computer in their bedroom, and nearly as many (33 percent) have Internet access there. Youth spend nearly an hour-and-a-half (outside of schoolwork) with a computer each day, up from just over one hour in 2004.[5]

White and Asian/Pacific Islander children are more likely to have access to a computer at home (87 and 91 percent, respectively, in 2013) than are black or Hispanic children (65 and 66 percent, respectively). White and Asian/Pacific Islander children are also more likely to use the Internet at home (64 and 62 percent, respectively) than are black or Hispanic children (48 and 47 percent, respectively). (Figure 2)

Differences by Household Income Level

In 2013, children’s access to computers at home and their home Internet use was positively related to household income. At that time, 49 percent of children in households with incomes of less than $15,000 had access to a computer at home, compared with 94 percent of children in households with incomes of $75,000 or more. (Figure 3) Children’s Internet use at home followed a similar pattern, ranging from 33 to 71 percent. (Appendix 2)

Differences by Parental Education

There is a strong gradient by parents’ education attainment in children’s home access to computers, and particularly in their Internet access. In 2013, 51 percent of children in homes where the householder did not have a high school education had access to a home computer, a significantly lower proportion than found in homes where the householder had a high school diploma (68 percent), had some college education (84 percent), or had a college degree or higher (94 percent). Internet access was reported by significantly fewer children with the least-educated householders (39 and 48 percent, respectively) than by those with parents in the two higher education groups (61 and 70 percent, respectively). (Figure 4)

Differences by Age

Home internet usage rises with increasing age. One in three children ages three to five years use the Internet at home, compared with 54 percent of six- to eleven-year-olds and 72 percent of twelve- to 17-year-olds. (Appendix 2)

State and Local Estimates

2013 state estimates for children with computer and internet access at home are available from the US Census Bureau (Table 2)

International Estimates

The World Economic Forum has issued a report which includes 2012 country-level data on the
percentage of households with a personal computer and access to the internet. (page 362)

National Goals

None.

Related Indicators

Definition

Children who have access to a computer at home are defined as those living in a household with at least one computer. Some year-to-year changes in the data may be a result of changes in question wording.

Between 1984 and 1997, this was any household that responded yes to the question: “Is there a computer in this household?” In 2000, the question was changed to: “Is there a personal computer or laptop in this household?” In 2001 and 2003, the question was “Is there a computer or laptop in this household?” In 2010, the question was: “At home, do you or any member of this household own or use a desktop, laptop, netbook or notebook computer?” In 2011 and 2012, the question was: “How many desktop, laptop, netbook, notebook, and tablet computers are there in use in this household?” In 2013, the question was changed to “Does anyone in this household use a desktop, laptop, netbook or notebook computer, or a tablet computer such as an Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy, at home?”

Children and youth who use the Internet at home are defined as those who answered yes to whether they access the Internet at home; question wording has changed slightly since 1997. Since 2011, the question has specifically referred to accessing the Internet at home using mobile devices.

Data Sources

Data for 2010-2013: Child Trends’ original analysis of the Current Population Survey.

Data for income 2001: U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau. (2002). A nation online: How Americans are expanding their use of the Internet. Table 5-1. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/dn/index.html

Data for 2000: Newburger, E. C. (2001). Home computers and Internet use in the United States: Special studies. Current Population Reports, P23-207, U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau. Table B. http://www.census.gov/prod/2001pubs/p23-207.pdf

Data for 1997: Newburger, E. C. (1999). Computer use in the United States: 1997, population characteristics. Current Population Reports, P20-522, U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau. Detailed table 2. http://www.census.gov/hhes/computer/publications/1997.html

Data for 1989: Kominski, R. (1991). Computer use in the United States: 1989. Current Population Reports, Series P-23, No. 171, U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau. Detailed table 2. http://www.census.gov/hhes/computer/publications/1989.html

Data for 1984: Kominski, R. (1988). Computer use in the United States: 1984. Current Population Reports, Series P-23, No. 155, U.S. Department of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S. Census Bureau. Detailed table 2. http://www.census.gov/hhes/computer/publications/1984.html

1Wording of the question has changed slightly over time, and some year-to-year changes may be a result of changes in question wording. Between 1984 and 1997, the question was: “Is there a computer in this household?”. In 2000, the question was changed to: “Is there a personal computer or laptop in this household?”. In 2001 and 2003, the question was “Is there a computer or laptop in this household?”. In 2010, the question was: “At home, do you or any member of this household own or use a desktop, laptop, netbook or notebook computer?”. In 2011 and 2012, the question was: “How many desktop, laptop, netbook, notebook, and tablet computers are there in use in this household?”. In 2013, the question was changed to “Does anyone in this household use a desktop, laptop, netbook or notebook computer, or a tablet computer such as an Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy, at home?”.

2In most years, data were collected in October. However, in 2000, data were collected in August; in 2001, data were collected in September; and, in 2011 and 2013, data were collected in July.

3Estimates for 1997 are for non-Hispanic blacks only.

Source: Data for 1984: Kominski, R. (1998). Computer use in the United States: 1984: Bureau of the Census. Data for 1989: Kominski, R. (1989). Computer use in the United States: 1989: Bureau of the Census. Data for 1993: Education and Social Stratification Branch. (1993). Use of computers at home and school by persons 3 to 17 years old: October 1993. Suitland, MD: Bureau of the Census. Data for 1997: Newburger, E. C. (1997) Computer use in the United States: 1997: Bureau of the Census. Data for 2000: Newburger, E. C. (2000) Computer use in the United States: Special studies: Bureau of the Census. Income data for 2001: Bureau of the Census. (2002). A nation online: how Americans are expanding their use of the Internet: Bureau of the Census. All other data for 2001: Child Trends calculations using data from U.S. Census. Computer and Internet Use in the United States, 2001: Tables 2A and 4A. Income data for 2003: Day, J. C., Janus, A., and Davis, J. (2005) Computer and internet use in the United States: 2003: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports. Available at: http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/p23-208.pdf. All other data for 2003: Child Trends calculations using data from U.S. Census. “Computer and Internet Use in the United States: October 2003.” Tables 2A and 4A. available at: http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/computer/2003.html. Data for 2010-2013: Child Trends’ original analysis of the Current Population Survey.

1In most years, data were collected in October. However, in 2000, data were collected in August; in 2001, data were collected in September; and, in 2011 and 2013, data were collected in July.

2Estimates for 1997 are for non-Hispanic blacks only.

Source: Data for 1997: Newburger, E. C. (1997) Computer use in the United States: 1997: Bureau of the Census. Data for 2000: Newburger, E. C. (2000) Computer use in the United States: Special studies: Bureau of the Census. Income data for 2001: Bureau of the Census. (2002). A nation online: how Americans are expanding their use of the Internet: Bureau of the Census. All other data for 2001: Child Trends calculations using data from U.S. Census. Computer and Internet Use in the United States, 2001: Tables 2A and 4A. Income data for 2003: Day, J. C., Janus, A., and Davis, J. (2005) Computer and internet use in the United States: 2003: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports. Available at: http://www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs/p23-208.pdf. All other data for 2003: Child Trends calculations using data from U.S. Census. “Computer and Internet Use in the United States: October 2003.” Tables 2A and 4A. available at: http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/computer/2003.html. Data for 2010-2013: Child Trends’ original analysis of the Current Population Survey.

Endnotes

[2]National Research Council and Institute of
Medicine. (2001). Non-technical strategies to reduce children’s exposure to
inappropriate material on the Internet: Summary of a Workshop. Board on
Children, Youth, and Families and Computer Science and Telecommunications
Board. Joah G. Iannotta, ed. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. http://www.nap.edu/books/0309075912/html/